On June 22, TEI’s Board of Directors approved additions to the Institute’s Statement of Mission, Principles, and Purpose. The additions reflect TEI’s commitment to diversity within TEI and the tax profession by reinforcing TEI’s role as the global association of in-house tax professionals and promoting an inclusive culture that attracts, engages, and retains diverse tax professionals. The updated statement appears in the next section.
Wayne Hamilton led the Diversity Working Group, which comprised Tasheaya Ellison, Ju Lee, Wayne Monfries, Tupil Narasimhan, Bonnie Noble, Don Rath, Paula Sheehy, An Theeuwes, Winifer Tong, Mitch Trager, Carita Twinem, Rich Wireman, and Pilar Mata, TEI’s tax counsel.
Statement of Mission, Principle, and Purposes
Tax Executives Institute, Inc., is the preeminent global association of in-house tax professionals. TEI’s members are business executives responsible for the tax affairs of their employers in an executive, administrative, or managerial capacity. TEI serves its members and advances the profession through education, networking, and advocacy throughout the world.
Mission
The mission of Tax Executives Institute is to enhance and improve the global tax system and to serve its members, their employers, and society generally by facilitating interaction among, and the training of, members and their staffs by effectively advocating its members’ views and by promoting competence and professionalism in the private and government sectors.
Principle
Tax Executives Institute is dedicated to developing sound tax policy, complying with and uniformly enforcing tax laws, and minimizing administration and compliance costs to the benefit of government and taxpayers. These goals can be attained only through members’ voluntary actions and their adherence to the highest standards of professional competence and integrity.
Purpose
- To create a global community of tax professionals and to support their professional development and career progression and thus the business entities for which they work;
to facilitate the global association of professionals whose work is principally concerned with administering the tax affairs of business entities and to enhance the role of tax executives in managing those entities; - to promote awareness among business entities and governments of the significance of taxes and tax administration as a cost of business and a factor in global competitiveness and of the importance of sound business tax management practices;
- to promote and support the improvement of tax laws, and of their administration, at all levels of government throughout the world;
- to cooperate and exchange ideas with government tax officials for the purpose of identifying and resolving issues and problems in tax administration;
- to promote the exchange of ideas and mutual assistance among members and between members and government tax officials;
- to promote high standards of competence, professionalism, and performance in business tax management and government tax administration;
- to obtain and disseminate information on the subject of taxation for the benefit of members, their employers, and other interested parties through educational programs, publications, and otherwise; and
- to promote an inclusive culture that attracts, engages, and retains diverse tax professionals.
Standards of Conduct
Because the Mission, Principle, and Purposes of Tax Executives Institute can be achieved only by the members’ observance of the highest ethical standards, the Institute has adopted the following standards of professional conduct:
- The member accepts taxes as a cost of civilization and accepts the laws imposing taxes as the mechanism for distributing that cost among businesses, individuals, and other entities. The member will comply with those laws, whether or not agreeing with them.
- The member recognizes an obligation to minimize company tax liability, within the bounds of the law and to the extent consistent with policies or objectives of the company.
- The member recognizes an obligation to make an affirmative contribution to the sound administration of tax laws and to the development and adoption of sound tax legislation by cooperating and consulting with the persons charged with those functions, having due regard for the interest of the company, its employees, and society as a whole.
- The member accepts each government representative as a responsible person who is a professional required to fulfill the obligation to collect tax in accordance with the law.
- The member will deal with the representatives on that basis and will take occasion with others to uphold this view of government representatives. In case of any deviation by a government representative from that standard, the member will present the pertinent facts to the authorities authorized to take action with respect to the deviation.
- The member will present the facts pertinent to the resolution of questions at issue to representatives of the government imposing the tax.
- The member will employ assistants and outside representatives upon the basis of their technical competence, always having due regard for the highest standards of professional ethics.
- The member will create an inclusive and collaborative culture that encourages individuals with diverse backgrounds and talents to lead, contribute, and progress.
- The member will at all times recognize a duty of professionalism and will not use TEI membership to solicit business or sell products to other members.
